Grapple



J. BRESLAV Dec. 30, 1952 GRAPPLE Filed Sept. 1l. 1950 Patented Dec. 30, 1952 ft-nie lavti relates je' grabp'iesfand more particularly to grapples especially designed `for use to engage and lift a pile vof sheet 4stock at Relatively long sheet metal stock is usually disposed in piles upon ciosswise supporting mem- .vbersmby which thel pileo stock is raised from the door. YApl'urality of such supportinghmem- "bers are used and are spaced apart lengthwise ef the sheets toproperly 'support themlin a sub- Istantially hOITi'Zohtal and at pdsitioh. The supmriiigmembers often `project eeymd the sides or the lsheets and for different lengths of sheets areu usually spacedl apart diierent amounts. It is thereforewdesirable `'that jthewgrlapple be provided with'sheetjgripping, Qi', engaging, members adapted G0 be varibly spaced alonsth'e rileA of sheets Ato avoid interference with thefspaced sheet supporting members and itis one pbject of this inventionA to i provide `such, sheet i gripping, 0r enlt ,isi also desirable` that :the horizontal "and `flat position in .which the sheets are disposed'in piles upon their `supporting members .be maintained while being lifted from `their supports and trans- Aferred to another locationand it is,`therefore, `another object of this invention to .provide lmeans 'ina grapple of the ab'ove naturefor readily acmanufacture, readily manipulated, compact,` and `very #eilcient and durable in-nguse.

-With these and other objects 'in View; which will appear` as the description proceeds,there has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings a preferred form in which the features and principles of this invention may be practically and conveniently embodied.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a grapple embodying the features and principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is a side View of the same;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view of a sheet engaging member for the grapple; and

Figure "5 is a 'detail view or amatuer-sheet 'engaging member for the grapple. j 7";

Referring now to 'the drawings wherein like' reference numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the reference numerals H,

I2 and I3, I4 denote pairs of cross-bars, spaced apart lengthwise'of the grapple and suitably supported between cross-beams lmdisposedbeneath lengthwise extendingl parallel frame ybeams I6 and l1 to slide cross'wise in respect to the frame. The opposing faces I8 of each pair o'f cross-bars have rack teeth formed tl'iereonV and arranged to mesh with aupinio'n lil operatively connected to a bevel gear 2in The bevelgearsZ areoperatively connected to a shaft 2|.b'ybevel gears 22 and the shaft 2l Amay be rotated by a hand wheel, or pulley, 23, or by a` power driven belt, not shown, engaging'the pulley V23. EThe pulley 23 is loperatively connected to the shaft`2l by means of meshing gears 2li and25., A suitably located loop 23 is 'provided whereby'thegrapple may be attached to 'an overhead crane, or the ylikenot shown. The `above referred elements of the'grapple aremor'e `fully Ashpwnjand de- May 2c, 1931, to Frederick Meyer.

A drop` legfl is'attached, as by welding,'to'the outer end of each cross-bar il, 12, i3 and i4. The drop legs AZ'Iattachedtothe,crossfbars l2 and` l 3 are connected together by anupperl lengthwise beam 28 "and a lpwer lengthwise beam 2 9.

kThe cross-bars |I and114."iieg.eohnectedtogether plate 33. Arod 34, circular in cross-'sectionyextends-from one endplate 33 to the'other, through "the drop legs 2l, under the beam 28 `and closely adjacent to it, and 'a 'rod 35,` circular in crosssection, extends from one end plate 33 to the other through v`the -'drop legs 21, ,under the beam 3| and closely adjacent t-o it. `A centersuppo'rt 36 is provided for the rods 34 and 35 and depends from each beam 28 and 3|.

A plurality of sheets 30 engaging and supporting L-shaped hooks 31 are provided and are swingably supported upon each of the rods 34 and 35. Each hook 31 is provided with a lug 38 which extends outwardly from its shank 39. Each lug 38 has a hole 4I therethrough and the rods 34 and 35 pass through the holes 4| whereby the hooks 31 may swing about the rods, see dotted lines in Figure 3, and be slid lengthwise therealong to dispose them in the desired position thereon to avoid interference with sheet supports 42, dotted lined in Figure 2. When in sheet engaging position the shanks 39 of the hooks 3'! rest against, and are supported by, the beams 29 and 32.

One, or more, hooks 43, see Figures 4 and 5, are provided which are shorter than the others, 3l, to position their sheet engaging surfaces 44 above the sheet engaging surfaces 45 of the hooks 3l for use in maintaining the sheets supported thereby in substantially horizontal and iiat position, as they are being moved by the grapple. These hooks 43 may be slid along the supporting rods 34 and 35 to be positioned to offset the tendency of the sheets 30 to sag, either in the middle, or at the ends in accordance with the features and principles disclosed in my Patent Number 2,281,348, issued April 28, 1942. If desired, the shank at of the hook lili may be a chain, see Figure 5, or other fl xible member, attached to a, ring il', slidable on the rods, whereby the hook 43 may be swung out of the way when not in use.

By the provision in a grapple of the above, or like nature, of sheet engaging hooks adapted to be moved lengthwise of the grapple frame to position them in position in respect to sheet door supporting members to avoid interference therewith is a decided advantage. The desired number of hooks may be used, more for thin, and iexible, or long, sheets and less for relatively stiff, or short, sheets thus providing eficient support for the same as they are lifted and moved to new locations. The provision of shorter hooks, o

for use when desired, insures that the sheets may be maintained'horizontal and nat and will not slide from the grapple during transportation.

While there has been shown and described herein apreferred form of the invention, it will be understood that the novel features and principles of this invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit and essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative, and not restrictive, reference being had to the claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having thus fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed as new and for which it is desired to obtain Letters Patent, is:

1. A sheet engaging and lifting grapple comprising 9, frame, cross-members carried by said frame, means connected to said frame to move sain cross-members transversely in respect to the length of said frame, a drop leg depending from an end of each cross-member at each side of said frame, a, side'frame at each side of the first frame and rigidly connected to the adjacent legs, a pair of elongated elements, one extending longitudinally of each side frame and supported from the adjacent legs, and sheet engaging and supporting hooks carried by and spaced apart length- `4 wise along said elements and depending therefrom, said hooks being slidable along said elements.

2. A sheet engaging and lifting grapple comprising a frame, cross-members carried by said frame, means connected to said frame to move said cross-members transversely in respect to the length of said frame, a drop leg depending from an end of each cross-member at each side of said frame, a beam extending lengthwise of said frame `and connected to the legs on each side of the frame, another beam extending lengthwise of said frame and connected to the lower ends of the legs on each side of the frame, a rod connected to and supported by each of said beams and extending lengthwise of said frame, and sheet engaging and supporting hooks carried by and spaced apart along and depending from each rod, each hook being slidable along the rod, said hooks being rotatably mounted on said rods and depending inside of said last mentioned beam to be supported thereby against outward swinging movement.

3. A sheet engaging and lifting grapple comprising an elongated frame, cross-members carried by said frame, means connected -to said frame to move said cross-members transversely of the frame, a drop leg depending from one end of each cross-member at each side of said frame, a side frame at each side of the first frame and rigidly connected to the adjacent legs. a pair of elongated elements one extending longitudinally of each side frame and supported from the adiacent legs, and sheet engaging and supporting hooks carried by and spaced apart lengthwise along said elements and depending therefrom, said hooks being slidable along said elements, said hooks being located between said side frames to besunported thereby against outward swinging movement.

4. A sheet engaging and lifting grapple comprising an elongated frame, cross bars carried by said frame, means connected to said frame to move saidcross bars transversely of said frame, a plurality of sheet engaging and supporting members at each side of said frame supported from said cross bars and movable therewith, said members being movable longitudinally of said frame, and means at each side of said frame and supported from said cross bars limiting outward displacement of said members when said members are in operative position.

` JACK BlbliiSLAV.l

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 884,434 Wolgamott Apr. 14, 1908 990,591 Ray Apr. 25, 1911 1,807,125 Meyer May 26, 1931 

